Craisin Pork Cutlet Meal

Craisin Pork Cutlet Meal

1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced thin or thin chops
½ cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb fresh spinach
½ cup craisins
1 small can mandarin oranges
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 small acorn squash
Salt and pepper
Flour and yeast for bread machine bread

In the morning:
Set up the bread machine with the bread ingredients and set for delay bake.
Plan to have the bread done baking about 15 minutes before dinner to give it time to cool.

In the afternoon:
Wash and dry the pork cutlets.
Pour the bread crumbs into a zip top plastic bag or a brown bag.
Dip the pork in the beaten egg.
Drop the cutlets into the bag of bread crumbs. Seal tightly and shake to coat.
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a skillet and cook the cutlets until they are browned and well done.
Remove from pan and keep warm.
While the cutlets are cooking, sauté the spinach in a different pan in 2 Tbsp olive oil until tender.
Slice the acorn squash. Place in a glass pan with ¼ inch of water in the bottom.
Microwave on high for 5-10 minutes until the squash is fork tender.
In the same pan the cutlest were in, mix the craisins, mandarin orange juice, (but not the oranges,) brown sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium high heat until it simmers.
Simmer for 5 minutes. Place the cutlets back in the pan and add the mandarin oranges.
Remove the bread from the bread machine and allow it to cool slightly.
Place the spinach in a bowl, and arrange the squash around the edges. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the cutlets on a platter.
Enjoy!

Basil Grilled Chicken

Here's another one of those recipes that my family fell in love with. I couldn't find any basil at the market the week I made this, and my basil in the garden is pretty much used up. So I made a new Parsley and Sunflower Seed Pesto. You might want to try it for a change of taste.

I used the Barilla Celantini pasta for this dish because the twists hold the pesto better. You want all the flavor you can get in your pasta.





Basil Grilled Chicken
Winter Mix Vegetables
Pasta with Pesto

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Wax paper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 green onions, finely chopped
3 leaves basil, finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp white wine
2 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ to ½ cup of chicken stock
1 small jar of pesto or make your own quickly with my Basil Pesto recipe
1 lb of celantini or fusilli or other spiral pasta
1 package of winter mix vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)

Preparation:
If you are making your own Basil Pesto, do it the night before to let the flavors mingle.
Boil water for the pasta.
Lay the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper, and pound with a kitchen mallet.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper on the chicken.
Spray the indoor grill with cooking spray.
Grill the breasts until brown and the juice runs clear. Keep warm.
Cook the green onions and basil in the olive oil until tender. Remove to a bowl.
Melt the butter in the same pan. Whisk in the flour.
Stir in the white wine and chicken stock, a little at a time until you have a smooth and creamy white sauce.
Add the Dijon mustard and stir.
Stir in the cooked onions and basil. Lay the grilled chicken breasts in the sauce, and turn to coat.
Cook the vegetables according to the package directions.
Drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with the pesto sauce.
Serve the chicken over the pasta, and drizzle the sauce over all.

Hearty Tuna Casserole

Hearty Tuna Casserole
Dilled Mixed Vegetables

Ingredients:
2 medium 6 ounce cans of chunk style tuna in water (Albacore tastes terrific!)
½ lb egg noodles
½ cup finely chopped celery (Use a chopper for this.)
¼ cup chopped green onions
½ cup sour cream
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 can cream of celery soup
1 tsp dried basil
1 small zucchini, sliced on the diagonal
1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded
1 fresh tomato, sliced thin
1 package of frozen mixed vegetables
½ tsp dill

Preparation:
Put a pot of water on to boil for the egg noodles.
Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray or lightly coat with olive oil.
While the egg noodles are boiling, drain the tuna, and slice and chop the vegetables.
Drain the egg noodles and rinse them under cold running water.
Combine the noodles, tuna, the vegetables, the sour cream, mustard, soup, and basil.
Spread half the noodle mixture in the bottom the baking dish.
Layer with half the zucchini and half the cheese.
Repeat with another layer. Arrange the tomato slices around the edge of the casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the cheese melts.
While the casserole bakes, prepare the mixed vegetables in the microwave. Add ½ tsp of dill to the vegetables and stir before serving.

Meatloaf Stuffed with Ham and Broccoli

Meatloaf Stuffed with Ham and Broccoli
Baked Potatoes
Green Salad

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
¾ cup Italian style bread crumbs
¼ cup catsup
6 slices deli thin ham lunchmeat
2 cups frozen chopped broccoli (Spinach works, too!)
4 slices cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
4 baking potatoes
½ head of iceberg lettuce
½ head of green leaf lettuce
½ chopped red onion
1 tomato, cut into wedges
½ cucumber, sliced
Salad dressing of your choice (Consider Red Wine Viniagrette or Caesar.)

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Thaw the broccoli.
Mix the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, catsup, salt, pepper, and Tabasco.
Lay a large piece of tin foil on the counter.
Pat the meatloaf mixture into a rectangle, 9x13 inches.
Spread the broccoli onto the mixture, leaving ½ inch at the edges.
Spread the cheese slices over the broccoli.
Spread the ham over the cheese.
Roll the meatloaf into a loaf, using the tin foil as a tool to lift it.
Place in a baking dish.
Scrub the potatoes.
Wrap each potato in tin foil with ¼ tsp olive oil on the foil.
Bake the meatloaf and potatoes at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Set the table.
Toss the lettuce, cucumber, onion, and tomato together for the salad.